(AN) Oi, I feel like cp... . I've been sick with an idiotic cold for a week now and it's gotten to the point where I can't sleep because I can't breathe from coughing. Bleh...
review response:
ThebigW: Yay! A review! Yeah, it does go in the angst tragedy category doesn't it. I reread it, and thanks for pointing that out. I'm not quite sure what's gonna happen, so it might get lighter. Oh well! Thank you!
Heart Of Friendship: Thank you so much for reading this story! You're reviews are always very encouraging. I'm glad you read it, even though I didn't think you would like it. Proved me wrong!
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, would I be writing on a web site begging for reviews? I think not. Of course, knowing me I might... but I don't. So there! :looks at lawyers: Can I go now?
Lawyers: No.
: speaking
moo': thoughts
moo: flashbacks, dreams, or whatnot.
(This is mostly in Kagome's point of view)
Chapter 2: Escape
Last chapter:
I felt glass pierce my flesh. I felt myself falling. I heard laughter and saw Ayumi's face. I heard a thunk, and all was black and quiet.
This chapter:
My eyes fluttered opened. Stars?' I thought to myself. Then I remembered my choice of death, how Snake had pushed me out the window, and how my so called had just stood there watching, grinning at my pain. The bastard.
How am I still alive? I fell two stories.
I sat up, wincing from the pain in my back. Stupid glass.
Still, how did I survive? Maybe Ayumi really is watching over me. I chuckled to myself as I slowly stood up, my back popping and cracking. I slowly started to walk away in the dark blackness of the night, clutching my arm to slow the bleeding from a cut from the glass. I didn't know where I was going, just anywhere away from them.
I reached a tree and leaned against it. My hand groped for a sharp stone.
I can't let them find me. I have to change my appearance.'
I felt a sharp pain in my finger. I had found one, a stone sharp enough to cut my hair. I raised my arms and the stone to my hair and started to chop it off until it was a little shorter than shoulder length. I found another stone and, since the stone I had been using had grown dull, whacked off the edge of the first stone to make it more jagged. I trimmed my hair so the ends were somewhat even. I didn't know if I looked any different, but at least I had tried. My eyelids grew heavy and I fell asleep.
(Authors POV)
Hey Inuyasha! Look what I found! A c heery voice said. I think he's dead.
He ain't dead. If he was dead, his eyes would be halfway open. See? They're closed. A gruff voice came into the conversation.
I'm not quite sure. I'm gonna poke him, the owner of the cheery voice, Miroku, said.
I really think he's dead. Miroku poked the person, also known as a unconscious Kagome, with the stick again.
The owner of the gruff voice, Inuyasha, spoke up.
He isn't dead, bozo. He's just unconscious, Inuyasha said as he pushed Miroku's ear toward Kagome's mouth so he could hear the obvious.
Miroku paused as he heard Kagome's breathing. He struggled to get away from Inuyasha's grip on his skull and succeeded in escaping.
He put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, his face deadly serious. He isn't dead. He's just unconscious. Inuyasha slapped Miroku's hand off his shoulder. He turned to Kagome and started to pick her up.
Hey man! What are you doing? Miroku chased after him as he walked away.
He turned around and glared at Miroku.
I'm taking him back to the orphanage with us! He can't be more than fifteen and there's a vacancy anyway, Inuyasha scoffed and continued walking. Miroku hurried up and joined him. after about 2 minutes of walking, they reached a dark, sinister looking 3 story house. Without a second thought, they walked in through the giant mahogany door, the shadows engulfing them.
(Kagome's POV)
Kagome's dream:
I sat up, my head aching. Every part of my body felt like someone had run me over with a dump truck. Even my toes hurt!
Where am I? I groaned, looking around. Everything was unfamiliar. Wait... it was familiar! I looked down to find myself sitting on a blanket, my favorite from when I was a little child. I felt something squish and I looked to the crook of my elbow.
I yelped, hugging the toy bear that had meant so much to me when I was two. He was exactly as he had been earlier, save a few more holes and a little less stuffing. I had treasured Samasen for he had been my last connection to my mother. My had grabbed him away from me when I was five and thrown him in the fireplace. I hadn't seen him since that night... well, that would make sense, since he was burned to a crisp.
Samasen in my arms, I got up and started walking around. The walls of the room were a like a blank canvas, save two. One was covered in photos of my mother and a faceless man who I guessed to be my father. Besides the photos, it was covered in doodles drawn with crayons, filled with a child like innocence. Little collages made of newspaper and clothe hung from the wall.
The wall next to it was painted black with white letters that said . Unlike the wall next to it that was filled with happiness, innocence, and laughter, this one was filled with turmoil and despair. It was like a torture chamber with only one torch,that being the butterfly.
I shuddered. Turning as quickly as I could, I turned to the third wall. In tiny letters that I hadn't noticed were word writing themselves . I crouched down and recited what was written.
Lest we forget our mistakes that we made. For life repeats itself over and over, we beat this never ending cycle. Away fro- The writing stopped suddenly, like it sensed I was there.
I continued moving. The letter R appeared in front of my face. It drifted over into a corner and disappeared. As if guided by something else, I sat down in the corner. Next to me were strands of hair. My eyes traced the hair and followed it until it reached the end. There was a pile of hair that hand been slashed of.
I gasped. It was my hair! Why was it here? Where am I? What is this place? Everything was from my past. Samasen, my blanket, the photographs, the faceless man, everything. Even my hair, which I had just barely cut off! And that strange message. Lest we forget our mistakes... What is that supposed to mean? Why did it suddenly stop? All these questions, but no answers. Why? Why is it like this?
A voice entered my morbid thoughts.
I stood up. Mother? Mother, where are you?
My mother appeared in front of me. She grinned an innocent smile and skipped off into the distance.
Wait! Mother, wait for me! Come back! My turned around. Her mouth moved in soundless words. The end of a sentence entered my mind. My mother disappeared into the blinding light, which was coming toward me.
Follow your heart....? My mother's last words echoed in my head as the light engulfed me.
:end flashback :
I opened my eyes, expecting to see the leaves of a tree. Instead, I saw a blandly painted ceiling and three infirmary bed's. A nurse, a rather heavy old lady with an eye patch and a grim face full of wrinkles. All though she looked unlike able, she had a very welcoming feeling to her.
THe nurse looked over at me.
So yea are awake, are yea? You are very lucky to have gotten away from that fall with only a few scratches and aye dislocation, aye, very lucky indeed, young man,she said as she started to swab one of my many cuts.
Wait... man? I'm a girl...' I thought to my self as I fingered my short hair. then I remembered how I had decided to disguise my self.
They must think I'm a guy! Well, that's one way of hiding I guess.' I was ripped from my thoughts by the nurse's gruff voice.
She put away the cotton swaps and proceeded in bandaging the wound on my head.
What is yea name, lad? She said, tying the knot on the bandage.
I had been asked this question so many times so I automatically answered without thinking.
Higurashi Kagome. I whispered quietly, but almost immediate regretted my words. Why did I give her my real name? And last name too?
She sighed. I have heard stranger names. I am Keade. Where are your parents?
My voice turned cold. Dead. They were were killed. I continued to whisper, but it wasn't like before. A sharp edge graced my words.
Keade looked over at me, noticing how my voice had changed. She turned around and sat at her desk.
Umm... Keade-san? Why do I keep whispering? I'm braver than this.
Keade looked back over at me from her desk.
My throat was dry, seeing that I hadn't drunken anything in the last twelve hours.
How did I get here? The last thing I remember was falling asleep on a tree.
Suddenly a ruckus erupted down the hall. A parade of boys, both small and large, came running down the hall.
She groaned. Not again! I had told them to stop. Should have known they wouldn't listen to an old woman like me. She picked up the intercom microphone and yelled into it.
Inuyasha! Miroku! Report to the infirmary at once! I mean it!
Two boys about my age, maybe a year or two older, came jouncing into the infirmary. One had short black hair tied into a tiny ponytail at the nape of his neck and was rather tall, while the other had long silver hair that went to his waist or maybe even longer. What really caught my eye was his golden eyes and abnormally long fingernails. He had a look on his face of extreme cockiness and arrogance. The first one look over at me.
Hey, Inuyasha! Look! It's the dead person we found in the park! He said, grinning like an idiot.
The second, who I presumed was Inuyasha, looked over his shoulder and glared at the first.
Miroku, don't be an idiot. He's not dead anymore, see? He's sitting up.
Ah, so goofy grin is Miroku. Hmmm.... did they bring me here?
Keade came over next to me and looked at the two boys.
He never was dead. He was unconscious, and had apparently fell out a window. She said, her eyes showing that she obviously thought that these two were idiots. Inuyasha scoffed and smirked. He then looked over at Miroku.
See, I told you he didn't die.
Keade glared at both of them and they both immediately shut their mouths. Inuyasha glared at her viciously while Miroku.
I coughed. I knew that everyone's head swung towards me, even though my eyes were hidden by my bangs. I could feel the eyes looking at me, expecting something. I began to speak, although I spoke so quietly I wasn't sure they could hear me.
Where am I? My voice cracked after I'.
I heard the rustling of fabric as someone sat down next to me. An arm went around my shoulders.
When the person spoke I realized it was Miroku. His voice had lost his cheery and giddy factor and was speaking kindly.
You're at Barnes Orphanage for Boys, or, as we like to call it, Bob. I'm Miroku, he's Inuyasha, and you've met Keade. What' s your name?
I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Even though I knew I could speak louder, I continued to whisper.
Higurashi Kagome.
Where are your parents Kagome? He asked, trying to be supportive.
Where are you living? His voice didn't hold any fake sympathy, unlike anyone else's had when I told them. I guess he knew how horrible it is to be pitied.
My body quivered at the mere thought of them. Snake and him. I didn't even remember his name. I had only called him father or dad for as long as I could remember.
On the streets. Everyone is gone. I lied to them. I didn't know what to say. With the mafia? My stepfather? They'd surely send me back or send me to jail.
Keade spoke up.
Well, if that is the case, you will be residing here. We are short on rooms, so you will be sharing with Miroku and Inuyasha. They can show you where things are and what we do. Everyone helps with chores. Each person gets two chores a day. You are expected to keep your room clean and uncluttered. We eat dinner together and you are expected to eat everything off your plate, whether you like it or not. Do you understand? She looked at me expectantly.
I st
ood up. My legs were weak so I staggered a little.
I understand.
Keade smiled.
Good. Now if these two lumps would get going, they could show you around.
I felt Inuyasha walk past me. I looked over at Miroku, whose hand was on my shoulder. He smiled and I started to walk down the hall after Inuyasha.
Miroku started to point things out to me.
That's the cafeteria. Oh, and don't worry if Cook is mean to you. She's just lonely.
Inuyasha snorted.
Yeah, if you mean by lonely' old and bitchy, you've hit the target.
Miroku whacked Inuyasha on the head.
He grinned over at me.
Ignore him. He's just an idiot.
Inuyasha glared at him, whisked his foot around, stomped over to a door, went inside the room, and slammed the door shut. A clock fell off the wall right after.
Miroku sighed and walked up to the door. He tried to turn the handle, but had no success.
Inuyasha! Unlock the door! I need to get in!
No answer.
Inuyasha opened the door, glaring in our direction. Miroku ushered me in and the door shut with a click. I jumped.
In the surprisingly large room two futons sat at two of the four walls. There was a closet in one of the corners and a window on the far side of the room overlooking the road. The window was rather large, quite the opposite of the tiny window I had before.
Before... before all of this happened. Before I had been found. Before it was over.
I shook. Inuyasha noticed this and gruffly broke my out of my trance of memories, without meaning to, I'm sure.
Hey, you. Are you gonna stare out the window all day, or come down and eat? Cook'll pound you're head if you don't get yer ass down there, he shouted at me.
I picked up my head, shocked. It was 6:00 already! I had completely dazed off into a word of memories and practically pulled my soul out of my body!
Practically falling over my feet, I ran over to Inuyasha and shut the door. He looked at me oddly and pushed past me, running down the old stairs. I followed after him, afraid I would be late and get in trouble.
We ran into a giant room filled with boys. From their looks, I guessed their were about 5-19. Many of them had weird features, such as colored shapes and scars. I did my best not to stare, but all attempts failed when a giant pink blob appeared in my face.
Nyahahaha! Beware my power! I shall corrupt- The pink blob got cut off when Inuyasha brought it's fist down on it's head. Or what I thought was his head.
A little boy, who looked about 5, was sitting where the blob had been, rubbing a large bump on his head. I looked closer. He had paws! The little boy jumped up and started waving his arms in Inuyasha's face.
Inuyasha! What was that for? I wasn't doing anything worth hitting me for! The boy found his head squished up against the floor once again.
I knelt down and picked up the poor boy.
Are you all right? I asked him.
He sniffled a reply.
Are you new here? He asked me, wiping his nose on the back of his hand.
I stood up, getting back in line, glad to know that he was okay. Smiling, I answered his question.
Yup. And I hope I can stay here for a long time.
Shippo looked at me strangely. Inuyasha had disappeared.
You know, you're kinda weird. All the other guys are always trying to act all macho and are mean jerks, but you're really nice.
I smiled. Nice... since when had anyone called me nice? I was always cold and distant, afraid to get close to anyone, but now I was acting all nice and cheery.
What's happening to me? Is this really me? Or is it just an act?
Will I ever know?
Okie dokie then! Here is the question.
Will anyone review?
Will I get more than 2 reviews? (Once again, thank you so much to the two that reviewed!)
Will I continue to write this as slow as a fish in the desert?
Review and know the answers!
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Oh, yeah, in the time it took me to write this chapter, my cold is gone! Yay! Sorry for the long wait.